Idaho elk certainly not extinct

Video of an amazing number of elk captured by a cell phone-

We keep hearing how Idaho elk are all but extinct from anti-wolf folks and others with various gripes. Maybe this capture from the highway on a cell phone is the only herd left, but it certainly is impressive.

Folks who know southern Idaho will recognize that it is near Mountain Home. This is winter range. I’ve seen elk in the general vicinity . . . one, two or three elk, but nothing like this.

Share this:

Like this:

Ralph Maughan

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.

23 Responses to Idaho elk certainly not extinct

That is probably the Bennett Mtn. herd that is usually found hanging out on Larry William’s Tree Top ranch just a few miles up the road. I’ve counted 300 plus elk in his pastures numerous times. Of course in a normal winter they have moved down to Simco Road area but with no snow… Pretty impressive for sure. On a side note I heard a report of two black wolves spotted on the North side of the freeway just west of the first Mtn. Home exit this morning around 9:00 AM.

These videos are unbelievable and clearly demonstrate why wolves will always require some kind of protection. OOOOoooo!! There was a wolf within 12 feet of my house!! Within 12 feet of my house!! Look at the tracks! We are all in danger! Do these people realize how incredibly ignorant and cowardly they appear? They sound like little kids begging momma not to turn out the lights because there are monsters hiding under the bed! It would be laughable if it wasn’t so tragic.

And then these same “adults” spin it like they are concerned about the safety of their kids, passing along this fear and hatred down to them, when the adults are the chickenshits….ie wolf proof school bus stops in Reserve, NM, or keeping kids locked in the house because wolf sign was seen in the area. Keep the kids safe but afraid.

The funny thing is how it’s always the armed hunter being trapped in his tent, being stalked or being treed by wolves! Why no stories involving backpackers or hikers? There are thousands of folks with families, including little kids, hiking in wolf country every year. No problems. And in most cases, no guns. If they do see a wolf they consider it a wonderful experience and try to get a picture. This is what really makes these guys look so foolish.

The large percentage of calves in the herd is impressive. It looks like there was good reproduction in 2011. However, why did the car driver harrass the elk and move close while the elk were crossing? Bad ethics!

When I see a herd of elk I count the number of calves, the video is not that good maybe someone can enhance the video. Give it a try, the local F&G look at calf numbers and spike numbers as a indication of a depredation problem. If the herd is finding refugee on a ranch elk can’t get much safer fewer wolves and hunters.

I Bird Hunt pretty much every weekend from King Hill cut over Bennett then down the South Fork and out to Blacks Creek. This Elk Herd is always in the General area and averages 300 to 500 Elk. Sometimes they split and some go to the Simco area and some go to Mayfield. They know the safe havens on the private property. I’m surprised these Wolves have made it with as many Hunters are in this whole area, especially with the extra Doe tags the F&G put out because of the burned area. They just ended last day of December.

Theres a big difference on watching a herd of 1,200 on a cell phone verses a herd of use to be 20,000 or 60,000 a herd
There should be a bounty on these wolves
They populate faster then most prey do and the predator population will rapidly increase question what do you think will happen once all wild life prey is extinct and there are an over population of predators ?

The only “overpopulation of predators” any of us need to worry about is the overpopulation of humans – the wannabe king of predators who can’t accept competition of any kind including wildlife – which wolves are. According to some humans, apparently who think like you do, all wildlife is prey, including the predators (not in the classic sense of “prey” per se but they have a voracious desire to kill them all the same). Maybe a good edumacation could be of help to folks who think that way.

20 to 60,000? I remember seeing herds of 2 to 3 million bajillion Sarah…and you should have seen the herds of mastodons and brontosaurusus roaming the plains of Idaho–oh, it was a beautiful sight, but that all came to an end with the reintroduction of these vicious 700 pound canadian wolves!!! What a travesty.

That’s an impressive herd of elk, but you can’t just look at one winter herd of elk and use that to judge the elk population in the entire state. Same as seeing 8 wolves in one drainage and another 6 in another and then saying that the place is crawling with wolves.
We saw 15 moose in one drainage christmas day and nearly all were bulls, it was impressive to see that many moose in one drainage. After crossing 3 or 4 more drainages without even seeing a track it was clear that they were all in that one drainage in that particular area.

Nice job on the map you got it right on the spot. This herd moves through that area every couple weeks from November to April depending on weather. I have video of the same herd from Mid-December. Not sure why wolves came up they had nothing to do with that herd and anyone who drives that area is familiar with the herd. There is no resident pack in that area and never will be because no game is around during the summer and they will just get into cattle. We do see dispersers or small groups in the area during the winter though. I took a spike out of it this year up near Camas reservior.

373,000 elk in the Tri-State area, the same as 2010, that’s lots of elk!! In fact Montana elk numbers have remained constant @ 150,000 since 2009. Idaho’s population changed from 107,000 in 2009 to 101,000 in 2010 to 103,000 in 2011. Wyoming elk numbers grew from 105,000 in 2009 to 120,000 in 2010, 2011.

Elk are more elusive since their old “lolling around @ stream bed days, munching down trees”. There’s a smart predator in town (I’m talking about the wolf) and they know it. “Ecology of Fear”. So stop bellyaching elk hunters.

Elk are doing just fine in the Northern Rockies, the wolves are not. THREE HUNDRED SIXTY ONE dead wolves in the combined hunts. That’s not counting wolves dying at the hands of Wildlife Services and poachers.

Calendar

Quote

‎"At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, “thus far and no further.” If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, “If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour."